Your Smile is What Saved Me
by cookiemonsterlover32
Summary: I've lost hope. I'm tired of doing this. I'm tired of acting like I'm happy. I'm not. I'm tired of acting like I can take this. I might break down. I might give up. You were my only hope, and I lost it. Oneshot


**Author's Note: Well this is a little one-shot I did of Naruto and Hinata. Post-war. This was inspired by a topic that has become popular lately, NaruSaku. I thought that, "Well Hinata is still there, so how would she feel?" And then I came up with this. Enjoy? Hopefully?**

**CAUTION: CONTAINS SPOILERS! Don't say you haven't been warned!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

_Hinata_

The war ended about two years ago. Madara and Obito were defeated. Sasuke returned home, with minimum charges. Considering he helped in the war. I lost my precious cousin in the process. It was all due to my foolishness. Many lives were lost, but his was the one in vain. I didn't deserve to be saved. I would've rather died. I would've rather died because _I _was the one who made the mistake of loving Naruto.

The war ended about two years ago. The first two months I was badly injured, but Sakura was in a coma. No one was by my side. I woke up hoping for Kiba, Shino, Hanabi, even Father. No one was ever there for me. Everyone was by Sakura's side. Especially Naruto. He never even left Sakura's side.

When I was discharged from the hospital, they told me I would never be able to overexert my Byakugan anymore. My chakra levels dropped. It was like the perfect message telling me, "Just give up." When Sakura woke up and recovered, she was completely fine. I had never seen Naruto's smile shine brigher. It was like he forgot everything, but Sakura. Forgot I confessed. Forgot that I threw my life away to protect him. Even a "Thank you." and a smile would've sufficed. But in return, I was forgotten and disabled. I should have known. His one true happiness was her. As long as Sasuke and Sakura were by his side, he didn't need me.

It only took a month after Sakura woke up for her to confess that she loved him. Everyone knew how happy he was that day. But no one knew how hard I cried that day. Naruto even hand-delivered the "good news" to me. I ran into him as I was getting lunch after visiting Neji. "I've never been happier." he said, with that oh-so-famous smile of his. I wanted to breakdown then and there. Like a miracle, I held it back enough and smiled, "Congratulations, Naruto-kun."

I remember that when I left the hospital no one had held a proper burial for Neji-ni-san. I held one for him. His teammates and I were the only ones that showed. During the war, I lost track of the days and never knew what day he left. I visit him ever month. He was my one true family. I could never pay him back for protecting for protecting me. But that day Sakura confessed, that day Naruto told me, I remembered that day well. July 3rd. Neji's birthday. I remembered that day _so _well. I broke down when I got home. I locked myself in my room and cried the hardest I have ever cried. With the single thought of, "I hate you so much, Neji-ni-san. For protecting me on that day."

Three months later, they moved in together. Some say they were moving too fast, others said they've known each other forever, so it didn't matter. I didn't care; I just hated it.

Two months after that, I was kicked out of my home. I had become of age and had not married yet. My father disowned me to live on my own. Resulting in the worst year of my life.

I started becoming distant. I took on missions on my own. I no longer cared what happened to me. I was in the hospital more often because I didn't care that I overexerted my Byakugan. I never accepted missions with a squad anymore. I never went to team training, nor did I participate in any social gatherings with the others. I was in a stage of complete numbness. No one cared. I used to cry and cry everyday. But I realized no one was going to save me, so I stopped.

I lived a whole year like this. I no longer stuttered or got nervous. I was neither shy nor hesitant. When a teammate would pass me by they never greeted me. I was the forgotten one, as always.

He caught up with me one day. "Yo, Hinata!" I turned. No one greeted me so informally. No one greeted me at all. I had no friends. "Naruto." I muttered.

"Where are you going?"

"Home." I answer solidly.

"Can I come with? It feels like we haven't talked in forever!"

"That's because we haven't."

There was a solid silence. "...So I noticed you've taken more solo missions."

"You're quite observant."

"You should take care of your health more."

"Who cares?"

"Me."

I scoffed. As if.

"I haven't seen you at any of the gatherings either."

"That's because I haven't been going."

"Hinata."

"Naruto."

"What no honorifics? You've always used them with me." I walked on ahead getting tired of conversing. "Things change," I told him. He grabbed my wrist, "You've changed."

"You changed me."

A look of guilt washed over his face. I took this as a chance to escape. He held my wrist tighter and pulled me in to a hug.

"I changed you. I never forgot. All the things you said and did for me. I'm sorry."

I looked at him. A simple sorry. That was enough for my emotions to flood me again.

"Sorry? Sorry? If you're sorry you shouldn't have done it. All the things I did, and you still chased after Sakura! Not once did you visit me when I was in the hospital! Not one minute. I only wanted one minute! You don't know how much I regret trying to protect you when I knew I couldn't! It cost Neji-ni-san's life and now he's gone! You spent every moment you had with Sakura.."

"I thought I had a duty to protect her! Her confession was just a shock to me at the time! I still thought I loved her!"

"Don't lie! You still love her with every ounce of your being!" I couldn't hold back any tears at this point. He wiped one of them with his thumb. "You still love me."

"I hate you."

"I love you," I looked at his face in shock. "I hurt you, and slowly lost you. And then I watched you slowly lose yourself. I hate myself for that. I couldn't comfort you because I never found the courage. Sakura and I broke up a few months ago when we realized we'd never love each other more than brother and sister."

"I don't care."

"You care."

"So?"

"I miss you. I miss the way you stuttered around me, and the way you blushed. I miss the way you said my name. I even missed it when you looked my way. All my achievements were never acknowledged by you anymore. I missed you like crazy."

"Stop."

"Stop? Stop what?"

"Lying." I whispered.

"I'm not lying! I miss you! Everyone misses you! They always talk about how they miss you when they're together!"

"Then why didn't anyone make an effort? Why didn't anyone fight for me?"

"Because I wouldn't let them. I wanted to be the first."

"Liar." Tears coming out harder than before. Even he started crying.

"You're such a good liar! Who set you up?" I yelled out to him. He pulled me into another hug and held me tighter.

"You of all people should know Hinata, that I hate lying."

"Do you know how much I hated being me over the years? How much I endured and how much I wanted to leave? I've suffered far too long to understand that good things don't just come to me."

"I'm sorry."

"Sometimes sorry isn't enough." I told him as I pushed him away and started walking away.

"I've suffered once too, you know! We could get through this together Hinata. If you would just let me."

I turned.

"Please...Hinata..stay with me."

"_Then, please never leave me."_

And the smile that I saw on that day, is the smile that saved me.

**Author's Note: Did you like it? Hate it? Please let me know! I'm thinking about making a multi-chapter story, so tell me what you think about that! I hope you enjoyed reading it, because I enjoyed writing it! Thank you!**


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